Services that used to run to St Pancras station

[Jorge Da Silva]

What services used to run to St Pancras but no longer do this could be from the early days as well.

 

[Mag_seven]

The most obvious one that springs to mind is "The Thames Clyde Express" from St Pancras to Glasgow.

 

[Iskra]

The most obvious one that springs to mind is "The Thames Clyde Express" from St Pancras to Glasgow.

There was also a nightly sleeper equivalent in each direction Via Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.

 

[JB_B]

There were boat trains from St Pancras to Tilbury Docks. ( Presumably there used to be services to other LTSR destinations?)

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Trains direct from Manchester.

From Manchester Central via Matlock until the 1960's and then for a short while in 2003/04, from Manchester Piccadilly (via the Hope Valley) as part of Project "Rio" in order to provide replacement Manchester - London capacity whilst engineering work was being undertaken on the WCML.

 

[Mag_seven]

Although it was only one weekend (?) there were the infamous WCML electric hauled diverts into St Pancras in 1992 (I think).

 

[David Goddard]

MML (and latterly EMT/EMR) Summer Saturday services to Scarborough

 

[CW2]

Although it was only one weekend (?) there were the infamous WCML electric hauled diverts into St Pancras in 1992 (I think).

At least 2 weekends in October and November 1991. I think the trains involved all ran to / from Liverpool Lime Street. The electric locos were hauled dead by class 47/4s between Bedford and Nuneaton. Classes 86/2, 87 and 90 all worked to/from St Pancras.

 

[WesternLancer]

There were boat trains from St Pancras to Tilbury Docks. ( Presumably there used to be services to other LTSR destinations?)

Yes, I think other LTSR trains too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Nov 2020 ==

TPO mail trains and newspapers of course.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The most obvious one that springs to mind is "The Thames Clyde Express" from St Pancras to Glasgow.

Believe that there was also a daily "Thames Forth Express" service from St. Pancras to Edinburgh Waverley via Chesterfield, Leeds, Settle/Carlisle and Hawick/Galashiels.

Operated for a number of years between 1927 and 1968 (albeit not continuously) but with a nine hour journey time, it was hardly an "express" as such compared with the ECML.

 

[HST43257]

MML (and latterly EMT/EMR) Summer Saturday services to Scarborough

As far as I’m aware, that’s just a covid change. Hopefully they’ll be back next year.

 

[Ianno87]

Yes, I think other LTSR trains too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Nov 2020 ==

TPO mail trains and newspapers of course.

Did the Gospel Oak-Barking service run to St Pancras at any point, or was it just to Kentish Town?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

As far as I’m aware, that’s just a covid change. Hopefully they’ll be back next year.

Nope it’s permanent. It wasn’t in the franchise specification so it ceased. It was due to end this year but due to COVID it didn’t return this year meaning it ended last year

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Nov 2020 ==

Did the Gospel Oak-Barking service run to St Pancras at any point, or was it just to Kentish Town?

I think so at one point it May have done

 

[David Goddard]

As far as I’m aware, that’s just a covid change. Hopefully they’ll be back next year.

Sadly it was announced pre-Covid as part of their December 2020 timetable proposals:

EMR December 2020 Timetable Consultation

EMR have published it's proposals for December 2020. The main change is the introduction of the electric services between London and Corby, and on the Regional side Derby to Nottingham increasing to 4tph (2tph XC and 2 EMR) by extending Crewe services to Newark Castle instead of the Matlock...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[LMS 4F]

There was also a nightly sleeper equivalent in each direction Via Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.

I recall getting to the line side early to see this through Bedford on the up service. Wasn’t it called the Waverley or similar?

 

[Revaulx]

Table 216 of the LMS June 1947 timetable seems to indicate that some trains not only started at St P but also continued to Southend.

The connecting chords from the St P/ Kentish Town direction towards Barking/Upper Holloway were generously laid out, with a flyover across the main line. I’m not sure how much lasted until the connection was totally severed at the time of Bed-Pan electrification.

There’s no sign of any of it now. Unlike Kentish Town engine shed, most of whose buildings still survive, despite it being the first big London main-line passenger shed to close.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I recall getting to the line side early to see this through Bedford on the up service. Wasn’t it called the Waverley or similar?

That was the new name given to "Thames-Forth Express" (mentioned upthread in post #10) when the service was reinstated in c. 1957 after a lengthy post WW2 period when it hadn't been running.

 

[etr221]

Did the Gospel Oak-Barking service run to St Pancras at any point, or was it just to Kentish Town?

I think so at one point it May have done

In days gone by (before the war), the main Midland suburban service was onto what bacame the Goblin - the Tottenham and Hampstead line, with some (many) trains continuing over the Tottenham and Forest Gate to Barking or East Ham - eastern/outer destinations varied, mainly to and from Moorgate. It was only after the Widened Lines closed in WW2 that the St Pancras became the standard London terminal, befor trains were cut back to Kentish Town. After the Midland take over of the LT&S, some trains ran beyond Barking. Gospel Oak (T&H) was little used - only for occaisional services, aimed at trippers from the East End, off the GE, and was closed in 1926.

The other service which went that way, from St Pancras via the T&H, was royal trains going on up the GE to Sandringham, until 1923, to avoid the complications if the monarch went through the City of London.

 

[Richard Scott]

At least 2 weekends in October and November 1991. I think the trains involved all ran to / from Liverpool Lime Street. The electric locos were hauled dead by class 47/4s between Bedford and Nuneaton. Classes 86/2, 87 and 90 all worked to/from St Pancras.

Remember doing those one Saturday for novelty value. Definitely had 87020 and 87024. Think 47 came on at Bedford and off at Nuneaton; one was either 47973 or 971. Will have to try and find my records. Also did a railtour out of there one Saturday with 58042 if memory serves me correctly, can't remember the destination.

 

[PeterC]

Did the Gospel Oak-Barking service run to St Pancras at any point, or was it just to Kentish Town?

Some trains ran through from St Pancras and there was the occasional summer Sunday service to Southend although most of these ran from points further up the MML.

EDIT. looks like etr221 posted while I was trying to find my 1950 timetable.

 

[pdeaves]

More recent diversion include Hull Trains services. Most recently they travelled much of the Midland Main Line; a few years ago they did ECML to Finsbury Park and some reversals to get around north London on some normally non-passenger lines for a final reversal at West Hampstead for St Pancras.

 

[LMS 4F]

That was the new name given to "Thames-Forth Express" (mentioned upthread in post #10) when the service was reinstated in c. 1957 after a lengthy post WW2 period when it hadn't been running.

This has prompted my old grey cells to recall The Starlight Express as being an overnight to St Pancras in about 1957 ish.

 

[AY1975]

That was the new name given to "Thames-Forth Express" (mentioned upthread in post #10) when the service was reinstated in c. 1957 after a lengthy post WW2 period when it hadn't been running.

Wasn't there both a daytime and an overnight St Pancras-Edinburgh via the Waverley route?

I would guess that the Glasgow and the Edinburgh via the S&C (both the daytime trains and the Sleepers) would have been meant mainly for passengers making intermediate journeys such as Nottingham to Glasgow or Edinburgh rather than for people travelling on them throughout.

 

[CW2]

Remember doing those one Saturday for novelty value. Definitely had 87020 and 87024. Think 47 came on at Bedford and off at Nuneaton; one was either 47973 or 971. Will have to try and find my records. Also did a railtour out of there one Saturday with 58042 if memory serves me correctly, can't remember the destination.

Sunday 13/10/91 I did a round trip from St Pancras to Bedford on the diverted Liverpool services. Northbound it was 87002. The southbound was an 86/2 out of Liverpool, but it failed at Nuneaton, and was replaced there by 90022, thus giving me an unexpected class 90 into St Pancras. (There were no 90s diagrammed on these diversions, so it was just a matter of luck).
Saturday 02/11/91 This time I did St Pancras - Bedford with 87006, then 47822 hooked on for the run to Nuneaton via Wigston South Curve. I alighted at Nuneaton and returned to London Euston behind 90013, then strolled along the Euston Road to start again: this time it was 87002 (again) to Bedford for 86256 back to St Pancras.
I do recall one of the 479xx series working, but avoided it.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

This has prompted my old grey cells to recall The Starlight Express as being an overnight to St Pancras in about 1957 ish.

Weren't these 1950's Anglo-Scottish overnight non-sleeper excursion trains known as "Starlight Specials" (rather than "Starlight Express" which I seem to recall was a 1980's stage musical by a certain Richard Stilgoe, in collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber).

 

[Senex]

Services were different at different times, of course. But it's worth remembering that as well as the local services out towards East London by way of the Kentish Town junctions there were also at one stage through trains to and from Norwich via Cambridge. Going north, the split between London-Bradford trains mainly taking the loop from Kettering through Nottingham and the Manchester (and, of course, Liverpool and East Lancashire) services mainly running by way of Leicester and Derby deserves a mention. The Scottish services, which before 1914 were much more generous than just a couple of daytime and a couple of night trains, used both routes. A quick look at 1903 shews Scottish departures from St Pancras at 9:30 Edinburgh & Aberdeen, 9:35 Glasgow, 11:30 Glasgow, 11:35 Edinburgh, 1:30 Glasgow, 7:30 (SC Edinburgh, Perth, Inverness), 8:30 (SC Stranraer), 9:30 (SC Edinburgh & Glasgow), 12:00 (SC Glasgow).

 

[LMS 4F]

Weren't these 1950's Anglo-Scottish overnight non-sleeper excursion trains known as "Starlight Specials" (rather than "Starlight Express" which I seem to recall was a 1980's stage musical by a certain Richard Stilgoe, in collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber).

You may well be correct, it was a long time ago since I stood at Whitbread Avenue awaiting another Jubilee or a Black 5, the usual power on MML trains at that time.

 

[Iskra]

More recently, Barnsley-London St Pancras under Midland Mainline. I think there was another service to somewhere random, possibly Burton On Trent, also Matlock and York.

Were the Glasgow St Enoch and Edinburgh portions of the same sleeper train?

 

[hexagon789]

That was the new name given to "Thames-Forth Express" (mentioned upthread in post #10) when the service was reinstated in c. 1957 after a lengthy post WW2 period when it hadn't been running.

I remember seeing the running time to London for the service and being shocked at how long it took (I think it was about 10 hours 20 in 1962, the fastest ECML by comparison services took 6 hours in the same year), though I suppose it was perhaps more for intermediate journeys than end-to-end ones?

 

[High Dyke]

Other named services were The Palatine, between Manchester and London. A matching service was named the Peaks Express. I believe that the Great Eastern Railway also ran a few services from St Pancras for a while.